GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU football coach Brian Kelly received some early Christmas presents on Saturday, and two may lead to making another one come true.
Early in the afternoon after his noon press conference, news broke that No. 2 overall portal player and No. 1 edge rusher Patrick Payton of Florida State is transferring to the Tigers. Payton (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) had 35 tackles and four sacks as a redshirt junior in the 2024 season for the Seminoles. In three seasons at Florida State, he had 16 sacks, 31.5 tackles for loss, 110 tackles and 13 pass breakups.
The Atlantic Coast Conference named him its defensive rookie of the year in 2022 when he had five sacks and a forced fumble. He had seven sacks and seven quarterback hurries in 2023. Payton was a four-star prospect and No. 18 linebacker in the nation out of Northwestern High in Miami in 2021. He is spending this weekend in Baton Rouge.
BRIAN KELLY SATURDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
LSU also is getting No. 53 overall portal prospect and No. 4 interior offensive lineman Braelin Moore (6-3, 303) of Virginia Tech. Moore is expected to play center at LSU. He started there as a redshirt sophomore for the Hokies last season and in 2023. LSU’s plan is to move redshirt freshman starting center DJ Chester to guard next season. Moore was the No. 54 interior offensive lineman in the country in 2022 out of Freedom High in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the No. 27 player in the state.
Payton and Moore were the 12th and 13th portal commitments in just nine days for Kelly, who had said the target was 12. That may now grow to 15.
“It’s going to probably be closer to the 15 number before it’s all said and done,” Kelly said at a press conference Saturday after a practice for the Dec. 31 Texas Bowl against Baylor (2:30 p.m., ESPN).
The speed at which LSU has signed portal players has surprised Kelly.
“We had a pretty clear plan of where we wanted to be,” he said. “We probably got there quicker, earlier. I thought it was going to be a little bit longer. This could go a little bit longer for us. There are some teams that are still playing that have guys who have yet to make decisions.”
LSU GOT ITS 11TH PORTAL PLAYER ON FRIDAY
Players in the playoffs or bowls have an additional five-day window to enter the portal after the first portal closing on Saturday, Dec. 28.
As Kelly’s press conference was ending early Saturday afternoon, decades-long local sports radio talk show personality Buddy Songy gifted Kelly a T-shirt. It echoed what the coach proclaimed after finishing the season last month on a two-game winning streak to finish 8-4 and 5-3 in the Southeastern Conference.
“I’m going to wear it after the natty game.”
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) December 21, 2024
-Brian Kelly upon receiving this Christmas present from media member Buddy Songy Saturday in reference to his NC prediction after beating Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/VKI27hJqdT
The T-shirt reads, “We’re taking RECEIPTS, & we’ll see you at the Natty,” which is what Kelly said after beating Oklahoma, 37-17, on Nov. 30 to end the regular season.
BRIAN KELLY CHANNELS HIS INNER DEION SANDERS
“We’re taking RECEIPTS, and, you know, we’ll see you at the national championship,” Kelly said, referring to fans, writers and social media who criticized his team and overall program after a three-game losing streak tumbled the team from a 6-1 start and No. 8 ranking to out of the College Football Playoffs.
And he said it again to end that press conference.
“We’re going to build it the way we know that we’re going to build it,” he said at the time. “And, I’ll see you in the national championship game.”
When asked if he meant next year, Kelly said only, “What do you think?”
The way Kelly and company are building it clearly includes his newfound commitment to the NCAA Transfer Portal, particularly the top end of that.
Payton and Moore give LSU eight in the top 100 of the portal by 247sports.com and three in the top 20.
LSU’S NCAA TRANSFER PORTAL CLASS (13 SIGNEES AND/OR COMMITMENTS)
-No. 2 Overall and No. 1 Edge Patrick Payton, Florida State.
-No. 10 Overall and No. 5 WR Nic Anderson, Oklahoma.
-No. 18 Overall and No. 8 WR-RET Barion Brown, Kentucky.
-No. 36 Overall and No. 2 CB Mansoor Delane, Virginia Tech.
-No. 43 Overall and No. 6 DE Jake Pyburn, Florida.
-No. 53 Overall and No. 4 Interior OL Braelin Moore, Virginia Tech.
-No. 71 Overall and No. 8 CB Ja’Keem Jackson, Florida.
-No. 92 Overall and No. 13 QB Michael Van Buren, Mississippi State.
-No. 125 Overall and No. 14 DE Jimari Butler, Nebraska.
-No. 128 Overall and No. 8 TE Bauer Sharp, Oklahoma.
-No. 307 Overall and No. 25 DT Sydir Mitchell, Texas.
-Unranked WR Destyn Hill, Florida State.
-Unranked P Grant Chadwick, Middle Tennessee State.
LSU PORTAL LOSSES (17) AND NEW SCHOOL, IF COMMITTED OR SIGNED
– Rickie Collins: Quarterback
– Landon Ibieta: Wide Receiver.
– CJ Daniels: Wide Receiver … Miami.
– Dashawn Womack: Edge … Ole Miss.
– Jordan Allen: Safety … Houston.
– Shelton Sampson: Wide Receiver.
– Kylin Jackson: Defensive Back … TCU.
– Xavier Atkins: Linebacker … Auburn.
– Jyaire Brown: Cornerback.
– Bernard Causey: Cornerback.
– Nathan Dibert: Kicker … Eastern Michigan.
– De’Myrion Johnson: Defensive Tackle
– JK Johnson: Cornerback
– Ka’Morreun Pimpton: Tight End
– Jay’viar Suggs: Defensive Tackle
– Sage Ryan: Defensive Back … Ole Miss.
– AJ Swann: Quarterback
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